Kansanshi Mining PLC has continued its commitment […]

Kansanshi Mining PLC has continued its commitment to supporting local businesses through its SME accelerator program, recently providing a significant boost to SkyDates Enterprises Limited, one of the program’s beneficiaries. The Kansanshi SME Accelerator Programme equips local businesses with the resources, skills, and support they need to innovate, expand their operations, and contribute meaningfully to the country’s economic development.

Through the Programme’s Returnable Grant facility, SkyDates Enterprises Limited has received solar power systems to strengthen its operations with reliable and sustainable energy, improving productivity, reducing operational costs, and enhancing business resilience.

As a beneficiary of the Kansanshi SME Accelerator Programme, SkyDates is helping strengthen Zambia’s agricultural value chain by connecting hundreds of smallholder farmers to reliable markets, increasing incomes, improving market access and contributing to national food security and rural economic growth.

According to Dr. Rawlings Kalubi – Kansanshi Mining PLC Local Content Coordinator, the mining company supplied SkyDates with 48 solar panels, lithium batteries, and inverters, which are now powering the company’s cold rooms. SkyDates Managing Director, Barbra Chabala expressed gratitude for the support, highlighting the transformative impact of the new equipment. “Now that we have a 24/7 cold room operating, many farmers will benefit from Kansanshi’s support.

Previously, we were unable to meet customer demand due to energy shortages, which limited our capacity to stock vegetables,” Chabala said. She said the installation of solar-powered cold storage is expected to significantly reduce post-harvest losses for farmers in the Solwezi area, a persistent challenge in the past caused by unreliable power supply.

With the new system, Skydate can aggregate and store more vegetables, ensuring fresher produce and increased profitability. “We want to say thank you to Kansanshi because we struggled and failed to buy the equipment ourselves. This is a huge milestone for our business, and we are so grateful,” Chabala added.

 Meanwhile, Dr. Kalubi emphasized that Kansanshi Mining PLC is committed to empowering local enterprises and enabling sustainable growth in the region. The company hopes that with continued support, SMEs like Skydate will further enhance their capacity and make greater contributions to the local agricultural value chain.

Article by Tyndale Muchiya